Macross Frontier - Episode 08 Discussion / Poll

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

I'm not too sure I really like how Alto and Sheryl is putting it all up on 'destiny' too readily and simply. It's like they're totally jinxing themselves considering that a lot of it was a sheer will to succeed at what they're doing, and a lot of the events are simply out of their control (If the Vajra didn't attack, Alto wouldn't be in SMS).

He'd still be studying to be a pilot, though.

And leaving it all up to destiny is the inverse of what they're advocating. They're saying "Don't second-guess what you were born for, just go for it. With all your might. So what if you lost at Miss Macross, or what if your family's against it? If you want to sing, sing. Go grab success with both hands and don't let go."

Originally Posted by Wesley84

She was acting. She acts out all the time.

I don't think the tears is the image she was going for.

While having an awesome time doing it.

Which just makes her more imperfect. So, for that matter, does that bit where Alto had to save her life because she wouldn't look before she jumped.

She may not be "perfect" but she does whatever she wants and walks all over people i.e. Alto.

It's been established since ep1 that she's a bit of a prima donna. And since ep... 2 or 3 that's she's a go getter.

Episode one Sheryl? Denigrates the flight students and makes a hasty retreat when her fans, whom she appeals to later on when her precious Galaxy that she hates is attacked, are in danger from...something.

She doesn't hate Galaxy. She used to hate her life there, when she was an orphan kid. That's not the same. And leaving some place you "hate" for greener pastures, going on a journey, only to discover there's no place like home, is an old story. Only difference here is that she wasn't especially trying to escape.

Also, what would you have her do at the Vajra attack? Stay there to cause more confusion?

[ReddyRedWolf]

Well Sheryl is not Basara anyway... Yet.

Basara did not only have the confidence that his voice will move mountains but had the piloting skills to back it up.

Sheryl has Basara recklessness and confidence but not the skills.

Or a Valkyrie for that matter which Basara already had.

The configuration of Frontier is different from the SDF-1 then it was necessary for Minmay to calm down the people.



It wouldn't surprise me though if Sheryl and Ranka pulls a duet to end the war in a VF with Sheryl on the stick.

[Swampstorm]

Originally Posted by herbert

@ Swampstorm

I figure that you may misunderstand me in a point. Even if I have 'Sheryl fan' written on my face since day one, it doesn't necessarily mean I'd look down on Ranka. I have never for a second doubted Ranka gets a potential can match Sheryl's. The highlight of my idea is 'the best songstress not necessary be the most popular one; only the one with both ability and opportunity can make to top, and Ranka lacks of the latter." Like the possibility that Sheryl falls we have talked for a long time, isn't there also a possibility that Ranka fails to rise? There are too many hero/heroine-want-so-hero/heroine-get anime out here, it would be fun to have one in which main character(s) fail to reach their dreams.

Oh, I didn't think that you were looking down on Ranka. It's important for at least someone in the discussion to point out the practical realities of things, after all.

There are many things that could boost Ranka's popularity significantly, particularily if she plays an important role in the battle with the Vajra. I don't mind if the writers have Ranka surpassing Sheryl late in the series or not, so long as Ranka achieves her dreams to her own satisfaction. Sheryl's success as a character depends far less on holding on to her current position, and far more to do with developing her relationship with Alto. All Sheryl has ever known is her work; this is her best chance to discover all the missing things in her life.

Originally Posted by ani_d

It might be too straightforward to say this but Michael, Luca and Nanase do pick up that Alto and Ranka are close even if the two don't have any clue about it. Like you said, they wouldn't tease Alto if they don't.

While it's true Ranka did say, "It's not like that" her behaviour, facial expressions tell us otherwise. It's fairly evident Ranka is jealous that Alto's getting closer to Sheryl. That's all it is. People express more of themselves through Nonverbal communication instead of verbal.

I do think that Alto and Ranka are close, but that isn't to say that there's a romantic attraction involved as of now. They're simply two people who are placed in the similar position of chasing after their respective dreams. It's hard to explain that kind of a relationship to your friends, especially when they get such a kick over teasing you about it.

It's always difficult to explain what you see in a non-verbal cue, but I'll have to try. For me, it had to do with the way that Ranka trails off into thought. It comes across as if she's sure that her curiosity doesn't quite stem from romantic interest, but she can't quite classify what it is. It looks less like Ranka is trying to cover her feelings up and more that she's trying to answer Michael's question very earnestly. But that's just what I got from it.

We all know that there's going to be a love triangle here at some point. But I think this is still a transition phase.

Originally Posted by ani_d

Since Nonverbal > Verbal, it doesn't mean that every pattern of behaviour is absolute. If we're going to compare Ranka's denial of jealousy to her behavioral patterns lately, we're bound to see that the girl really is jealous--in a very passive way I might add. While in Nanase's case, the girl blushes practically at everything. She blushed when Ranka held her hand, she blushed when Sheryl commented on her body, she blushed when she was teased about Alto. -_-; lol There's not even any indication that Nanase is crushing on Alto. I really don't think she indignantly stood up to Sheryl just because Sheryl is taking Alto away from her.

If you put it that way, Ranka blushes just as easily.

But it's not really about the blushing; it's more about how forceful her denial is. If she had said it calmly, or attempted to explain what her real position was, then we'd know that she wasn't bothered by the question.

Originally Posted by ani_d

Nobody said they can't reinforce the idea over and over. I also think that's another hint of them conveying 'the' message.

True, but I'm hoping that Ranka isn't the only character that the writers are trying to explore through all this. You take that one, and I'll take this one. Deal?

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

I'm not too sure I really like how Alto and Sheryl is putting it all up on 'destiny' too readily and simply. It's like they're totally jinxing themselves considering that a lot of it was a sheer will to succeed at what they're doing, and a lot of the events are simply out of their control (If the Vajra didn't attack, Alto wouldn't be in SMS).

There's a slight difference between the two. From episode three, it seems that Alto wants to take control of his own destiny, but doesn't always have the belief that he can. Sheryl already has the strength to believe in her own destiny, but she wavers from time to time as a consequence of trying to go it alone.

I don't think the story is necessarily implying that having a belief in your own destiny is enough on its own. 'Sheryl mustn't believe in herself! She must believe in Ranka, who believes in Alto, who believes in Sheryl!' Or something like that.

Nobody is ever truly in control of anything, but this is simply a way that people cope with those feelings of helplessness. For Sheryl at least, I'm sure that there's going to come a point down the line where belief alone isn't enough to succeed; how she opens up to the support of others after that could possibly play an important role in the development of her character.

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

I wish Sheryl can stop being so perfect and being so perfectly adaptable to anything and everything.

Well, I'm with you on this one. Character development comes from exploring a character's weaknesses, not their strengths. While we've seen flashes of vulnerability from Sheryl, her real development as a character can only come when she's at her weakest. Right now the focus is on exploring Ranka's insecurities; there will be plenty of time for Sheryl to get some focus once Ranka starts cashing in a few successes. Just be patient.

Originally Posted by Wesley84

I figure Ranka will drop the whole Idol thing, because as much as she likes singing, she wouldn't like becoming someone like Sheryl.

A second Sheryl would be amazing. Alto would be doomed.

Originally Posted by Wesley84

While having an awesome time doing it.

It was an awesome time, wasn't it?

Originally Posted by Wesley84

She may not be "perfect" but she does whatever she wants and walks all over people i.e. Alto.

Oddly, she can be surprisingly meek when Alto is really firm about what he says. Her confidence hax gives her an edge at everything else, though. She needs to duel Kamina sometime.

Originally Posted by Wesley84

Where's the Sheryl from episode two that wore a disguise when she went out in public? She gave up on that as soon as five rolled around, if not earlier. Speaking of episode five, where's that Sheryl at? I would never have imagined her wrecking a school because of a pair of panties, as funny and entertaining as that may have been. Not to mention running people doing with a limo and being a general agent of Chaos.

Sunglasses count as a disguise. Did you notice how everyone recognized her only after she took off her sunglasses in the observation tower?

I hear that it works better with a beard, but that alternative gets ruled out for obvious reasons. I guess I won't be following a Beard x Princess pairing this time around.

On a more serious note, I do think that the writers have been experimenting with Sheryl's character a fair bit as a result of striking gold in episode five. But it's very important for them to push the boundaries of her character now, while they still have the flexibility to do so. There's plenty of time to weave the nuances of her personality together later.

Originally Posted by Wesley84

Episode one Sheryl? Denigrates the flight students and makes a hasty retreat when her fans, whom she appeals to later on when her precious Galaxy that she hates is attacked, are in danger from...something.

She's not very consistent is she?

Actually, Sheryl initially resists before being dragged off stage by Cathy, so her initial impulse wasn't to escape the scene. I feel that she was much too blunt about the students, but I also can't help but note at the same time that her insights really were correct about the potential consequences of using students instead of professionals. But in her drive to make sure that everything is perfect, she also steps on people's toes in the process. But that's something that she'll have to learn to change as she grows.

(I agreed with the approach that she took in the manga much more, but this is this and that is that.)

I must confess that I didn't really like Sheryl all that much up until episode five. But looking back, I now have enough information to understand the reasons for her behavior, even if I don't necessarily agree with everything she did.

For one thing, she's had to grow up much too fast. When she's seriously focused on her career, she comes across as much much older than she really is. One of the important changes that took place in episode five was that with Alto, she finally had the freedom to be her own age and have some fun. That's why exploring her growing relationship with Alto has been so vital to developing her character.

Originally Posted by Wesley84

She was acting. She acts out all the time.

Sheryl is fairly adept at putting up a mask to protect her feelings when the need arises. But the main point of that scene was to highlight how Ranka and Sheryl each approached a similar fear in different ways.

As a consequence of her childhood trauma, Ranka is frightened at the thought of losing her last "family member" to war, which is why Ozma had to keep his piloting a secret from her for all this time. She doesn't understand why pilots need to go off to fight, which shows in the question that she poses Alto at the end of episode four.

In Sheryl's case, she has no family roots. Although Galaxy was a lonely place for her, it still is the only thing that she can really call home. As such, she needs to believe in its safety in order to stay strong, as she shows in episodes six and eight. She understands why Alto has to go off and fight; while she is afraid, she knows that she also has a duty to fulfill: If Alto's job is to fight, then it's her job to sing.

On stage, the line that Sheryl breaks down at is "I don't know if there'll be a day when we meet again in this vast galaxy." This has echoes of the melancholy tone that Sheryl has at the end of her date with Alto, where, despite all the fun that they had together, she remembers that she has to return to Galaxy. As she says those words on stage, she realizes that may very well have been their last meeting, which is what causes her to break down. There are some nice little details, such as the way in which Sheryl's hand unconciously reaches out for her missing earring, to really drive the point home.

The strength of this scene is in showing how the characters feed off of each other's strength and determination to succeed. Sheryl can't bring herself to sing on her own strength; she struggles to put on a brave front when she hears the cries of the crowd, but she can't sustain it. When Ranka sees that Sheryl knows about what's going on and is still trying to do her best in spite of it, she in turn is able to summon up the strength to help Sheryl.

That was where the real battle of the day was fought and won.

[Vulcannis]

Originally Posted by Wesley84

She was acting. She acts out all the time.

To what audience? The only person in the audience that understood why she was crying was Ranka. Why would she do something so out of her public character for the sake of one person who she didn't even know was present?

[Wesley84]

Originally Posted by Vulcannis

To what audience? The only person in the audience that understood why she was crying was Ranka. Why would she do something so out of her public character for the sake of one person who she didn't even know was present?

If she's acting, she's not really crying now is she? It looked nice. That's all that matters. She doesn't need a reason to put on an effective, crowd-pleasing display of "vunerability".

[cheesie]

^

Okay, I can't believe people are even arguing about it. This is a person who fusses over even the SLIGHTEST detail got wrong. She broke down in front of her fans. That's not professional. She was trying to pull herself together.

If the scene is intended to show her being fake about it, then the scene would SHOW it to us, in the form of a little smirk or whatever hints shown to US (the audience), so it'll be like we know something THEY don't. But Sheryl is genuine here, the scene is as straightforward as it gets, she is clearly meant to break down at that part, and all it shows is that she can't keep a tight lid on her emotions as effectively as she think she can.

You're free to interpret it however you want, but you're gonna have a hell of a time justifying your reasons on a scene that doesn't even agree with you.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by crisis

If the scene is intended to show her being fake about it, then the scene would SHOW it to us, in the form of a little smirk or whatever hints shown to US (the audience), so it'll be like we know something THEY don't. But Sheryl is genuine here, the scene is as straightforward as it gets, she is clearly meant to break down at that part, and all it shows is that she can't keep a tight lid on her emotions as effectively as she think she can.

Sorta like the smirk in episode 8 when she was bugging Alto about losing that only memento she had of her mother, after she got him in that 'oh SHIT, she got me!' bind? We've seen her smirking, and we've seen her in a panic mode... but that panic mode (Episode 3) had her basically doing anything she could to get out of the jam, even if it might've been stupid. Unfortunately, she's not that good an actress (yet), else she'd probably have been able to play Alto much better back in Episode 5. That's probably the most genuine part we've seen of her character, really.

[Wesley84]

Originally Posted by crisis

^

Okay, I can't believe people are even arguing about it. This is a person who fusses over even the SLIGHTEST detail got wrong. She broke down in front of her fans. That's not professional. She was trying to pull herself together.

If the scene is intended to show her being fake about it, then the scene would SHOW it to us, in the form of a little smirk or whatever hints shown to US (the audience), so it'll be like we know something THEY don't. But Sheryl is genuine here, the scene is as straightforward as it gets, she is clearly meant to break down at that part, and all it shows is that she can't keep a tight lid on her emotions as effectively as she think she can.

You're free to interpret it however you want, but you're gonna have a hell of a time justifying your reasons on a scene that doesn't even agree with you.

The trick to good lying/acting, is believeing in whatever you're shoveling at the time. It's not hard to do, and it's very easy when you're a politician/celebrity with a sympathetic audience. Sheryl admittedly doesn't act geninuely 90% of the time, and supposedly the only time she is honest is when she's alone with Alto, butLo and behold, the loss of the all important earring is gloated over and used as leverage for Sheryl's own amusement, so even with Alto she's not honest.

Did Ranka even want to be an Idol or did she just so happen to like singing, while being a fan of Sheryl's? Seems to me it was Sheryl's big idea for her Ranka to throw herself in with that despicable lot.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Wesley84

The trick to good lying/acting, is believeing in whatever you're shoveling at the time. It's not hard to do, and it's very easy when you're a politician/celebrity with a sympathetic audience. Sheryl admittedly doesn't act geninuely 90% of the time, and supposedly the only time she is honest is when she's alone with Alto, butLo and behold, the loss of the all important earring is gloated over and used as leverage for Sheryl's own amusement, so even with Alto she's not honest.

Did Ranka even want to be an Idol or did she just so happen to like singing, while being a fan of Sheryl's? Seems to me it was Sheryl's big idea for her Ranka to throw herself in with that despicable lot.

Episode 2 indicates Ranka wants to sing like Sheryl does, and to be successful at it. Ranka lacks the self-confidence to believe anyone would stop and want to listen to her singing, which is part of what Alto helped catalyze by saying 'I want to hear you sing' at the end of Episode 3. That's why she looked so pitiful in the mall, until she saw the plane and remembered Alto saying that he wanted to hear her singing... or at least he didn't mind if she sang.

Ranka wants to sing to an audience, and 'be heard' - Sheryl's basically been the one saying "You want to be heard? Then SING." That's pretty much the message she's been giving Ranka every time she encountered her; from suggesting she could be successful enough to make it into the Miss Macross competition, to telling her to pick herself up when she was having that crisis of confidence after seeing everyone else's figures, and so forth. I don't the impression Sheryl was out to ruin the girl, because she was a fan and sung well, all the while tickling Sheryl's ego by praising her and yet (somehow) not realizing she was talking with the real deal.

What she apparently wanted Ranka to do was to stop whining and wistfully muttering 'I wish I could do that', given that she seems to believe Ranka has the talent to succeed (as per the 'So she finally came out of her shell' comment when nobody's looking during the Mall incident in Ep 5). Ranka wants to be a SINGER, not necessarily an idol - to be known, and heard. However, Sheryl and others before her (Sharon Apple, Minmay) have been idols and singers, so it seems that roles are tied together... although Ranka's lack of confidence undermines her ability to sell herself. Only when she's 'out of the shell' does she shine: the "My Boyfriend is a Pilot" performance during Miss Macross as well as her "It's My Star" performance in Ep 5 reveal this, as once she stops fretting she has a natural charm and charisma which, like Sheryl, draws attention her way.

[cerrian]

Some weird movements with the TV ratings of late:

*3.0% (*1.8%) 05/24 (Sat) *1:55am-*2:25am TBS Macross FRONTIER

that's a pretty big bump from the 1.8% of the previous week. It is weird how Golgo 13 and Macross kinda swapped positions. I have no idea what would have caused such a jump in this case, but my best guess is that it is a rippling effect from the awesomeness of ep 7.

[herbert]

No, it's because high school romance comedy. You know Japanese like it.

@ Wesley84

Oh, god. I am so surprised you want to emphasize the fact that Sheryl doesn't act geninuely most of the time. She of course doesn't or why have we kept saying that she just put a strong front? The whole thing people want to tell you is that is not hard to figure out when she is pretending and what are true emotions she are hiding and all.

Not honest when she's with Alto? Like Alto is honest with her. When did you start to expect a couple of tsunderes would be honest to each other?

[cheesie]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

Sorta like the smirk in episode 8 when she was bugging Alto about losing that only memento she had of her mother, after she got him in that 'oh SHIT, she got me!' bind?

Exactly. You probably meant to counter me about the genuine remark, but that's not what I was talking about, that's a different issue.

It's not hard to do, and it's very easy when you're a politician/celebrity with a sympathetic audience.

There's sleazy REAL LIFE politicians/celebrities, and there's ANIME. Sheryl is not real. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sheryl. is. not. real. Kawamori developed this fictional character. I'm not saying that you can't interpret it however you want, but at least do it within reason and not go so out of bounds that you end up filling in your own stuff stuff the anime didn't even tell you to do.

We know Sheryl wasn't serious about the lost earring despite tearing up in front of Alto because she had that little smirk going on, which no one saw except for the audience watching Macross ep 8. -_- The Macross team was showing us that Sheryl was only teasing Alto about it, and Alto doesn't know that because he didn't see the smirk - but we did.

But the breaking down scene, there was nothing to suggest that. Sheryl was clearly breaking down, and the audience cries reminded her that it was unprofessional of her, that's why she tried to compose herself by brushing her tears away. Heck, there was even an extreme close up shot of her doing that, for the benefit of us watchers. -_-

(Which is why I can't believe we're arguing about this.)

[cerrian]

Originally Posted by crisis

Sheryl is not real. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sheryl. is. not. real.

LIES!!!!!

Damn heretics will not shatter our faith in Sheryl!

Originally Posted by crisis

(Which is why I can't believe we're arguing about this.)

I'll second that! Kinda funny though to watch this argument unfold. It's so borderlining irrationality.

Originally Posted by crisis

I'm not saying that you can't interpret it however you want, but at least do it within reason and not go so out of bounds that you end up filling in your own stuff stuff the anime didn't even tell you to do.

I'll second this too. Every now and then we all get carried away when we argue something passionately, but we should try to stay grounded when we make our arguments by staying within the limits of the information provided to us . In addition, we have to be wary of speculating, filling in the blanks, or 2nd guessing the nature of the characters too excessively because you run the risk of completely misinterpreting the true picture of what the storytellers are trying to show you.

[Eurys]

Originally Posted by cerrian

Some weird movements with the TV ratings of late:

*3.0% (*1.8%) 05/24 (Sat) *1:55am-*2:25am TBS Macross FRONTIER

that's a pretty big bump from the 1.8% of the previous week.

Wow, thanks for sharing. herbert must be right, high school hijinks do sell better

Originally Posted by cerrian

It's so borderlining irrationality.

The Sheryl hate is strong in that one...I would suggest not bothering with it, I know I don't. But heh, forums are made for discussions, even for irrational one

I rewatched the episode, and Nanase is truly the only character I can't stand (and maybe Cathy, but I'll be patient for that one). It's nice for Ranka to have a friend and all that, but Nanase's unfounded and irrational hate (lol!) for Sheryl bothers me. She has no reason to be so rude to a person she barely knows, especially when that person was a great inspiration for her friend and tried to help. Well, it's also a human reaction but since there's not much more depth to her character, it grates. And mostly, Ranka is not a kid, let her speak for herself

[ani_d]

Originally Posted by cerrian

Some weird movements with the TV ratings of late:

*3.0% (*1.8%) 05/24 (Sat) *1:55am-*2:25am TBS Macross FRONTIER

that's a pretty big bump from the 1.8% of the previous week. It is weird how Golgo 13 and Macross kinda swapped positions. I have no idea what would have caused such a jump in this case, but my best guess is that it is a rippling effect from the awesomeness of ep 7.

Nice. I really did enjoy this episode a lot. ^__^ Thanks.

Originally Posted by Eurys

I rewatched the episode, and Nanase is truly the only character I can't stand (and maybe Cathy, but I'll be patient for that one). It's nice for Ranka to have a friend and all that, but Nanase's unfounded and irrational hate (lol!) for Sheryl bothers me. She has no reason to be so rude to a person she barely knows, especially when that person was a great inspiration for her friend and tried to help. And Ranka is not a kid, let her speak for herself

With the way Nanase acted, you can either like her or hate her. She's always talking about dethroning Sheryl and cheering Ranka on lol She was on the defensive because Sheryl came off upstaging her friend. That's all she needed to know. I guess she's not Ranka's number 1 fan for nothing.

[SymphonicRain]

3.0%. Goodness.

I give up making any sense in Japanese TV anime ratings. At least the sponsors wouldn't find any excuse to cut down or pull out the numbers of episodes with occasional ratings like this.

[Eurys]

Originally Posted by ani_d

With the way Nanase acted, you can either like her or hate her. She's always talking about dethroning Sheryl and cheering Ranka on lol She was on the defensive because Sheryl came off upstaging her friend. That's all she needed to know. I guess she's not Ranka's number 1 fan for nothing.

Yeah, I don't fault her for feeling that way, but actually confronting Sheryl like that is kinda...bitchy. Oh well, like I said in my edited post, I hope she won't be used only for that purpose for the whole show.

[Wesley84]

Originally Posted by ani_d

With the way Nanase acted, you can either like her or hate her. She's always talking about dethroning Sheryl and cheering Ranka on lol She was on the defensive because Sheryl came off upstaging her friend. That's all she needed to know. I guess she's not Ranka's number 1 fan for nothing.

Actually it depends upon the subgroup. One said dethrone Sheryl, another said become like Sheryl, and that's just my personal experience, so who knows what else others might have been exposed to.

I may just end up pretending that episodes 6-8 didn't happen for the most part. They...really suck in terms of consistency of themes, characterization, action sequences, compared to the previous five episodes. I think I'll take Ranka segments to heart and leave it at that, since she's the only one to me at least seems to be undergoing a natural developement with consistent characterization (although I still have no idea what became of her job at the Nyan-Nyan.)

...Is it normal for anime writing and production staffs to just start tossing in whatever the heck they like for the first half of a series?

[SuperKnuckles]

Originally Posted by SymphonicRain

-Sheryl breaks down during her concert due to stress

-Sheryl trashes half of the school just for her panty

Just these two points alone I think pretty much negate your point of Sheryl being perfect. There's also several traits and perks of Sheryl's character definitely doesn't make her perfect at all.

Now, Belldandy is the epitome and definition of perfect which unfortunately makes her character now so dreadfully boring.

I don't think you entirely got my point. The reason why Sheryl is 'perfect' to me and to characters like Ranka is that she is adaptable. Nothing ever gets her down for long and she is always on the move whether it's her potential love life, making new friends, getting familiar with Frontier or dealing with war, loss, stress, etc. Compare that to Ranka just going into a shell and going by a small-time producer doing meager jobs to get by. Everything Sheryl does is at mach speed in comparison. I think a lot of it is credited to her personality.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

He'd still be studying to be a pilot, though.

And leaving it all up to destiny is the inverse of what they're advocating. They're saying "Don't second-guess what you were born for, just go for it. With all your might. So what if you lost at Miss Macross, or what if your family's against it? If you want to sing, sing. Go grab success with both hands and don't let go."

I'm not arguing against that, but does the characters have to go out of their way and outright say it? I don't think they do. Their actions speaks louder than their words and the way Alto is fixated on how it may be his 'destiny' just sounds like it's setting himself for some sort of downfall as far as his 'destiny' of fighting a war is concerned. Again, I just think it's like they just jinxed themselves a bit by getting so open about the whole destiny thing. Also, if he is so darn fixated on not being the 'princess' and all, how about cutting his uber-girly hair? I think he does hold onto the past in ways that hasn't been fully explored yet. And the OP seems to hint that he has done the whole Kabuki princess thing before and it may just as well be in his blood as much as he believes flying is.

[QUOTE=Swampstorm;1619443]Well, I'm with you on this one. Character development comes from exploring a character's weaknesses, not their strengths. While we've seen flashes of vulnerability from Sheryl, her real development as a character can only come when she's at her weakest. Right now the focus is on exploring Ranka's insecurities; there will be plenty of time for Sheryl to get some focus once Ranka starts cashing in a few successes. Just be patient.

I would think Ranka would start getting really popular once people realizes it's her voice that is doing the actual saving of Frontier and not anyone else's. I really wouldn't mind a more open contest between Ranka and Sheryl because like you said, the characters weaknesses can make things just that much more interesting. As of now, it's like Ranka and Sheryl are still arm's length away from eachother. I suppose Sheryl transfering to Miboshi Academy is the obvious way for them to interact with one another.

[SymphonicRain]

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

I don't think you entirely got my point. The reason why Sheryl is 'perfect' to me and to characters like Ranka is that she is adaptable. Nothing ever gets her down for long and she is always on the move whether it's her potential love life, making new friends, getting familiar with Frontier or dealing with war, loss, stress, etc. Compare that to Ranka just going into a shell and going by a small-time producer doing meager jobs to get by. Everything Sheryl does is at mach speed in comparison. I think a lot of it is credited to her personality.

Its not fair comparing to someone who is already an established idol to another who is in the making of becoming one. Just because Ranka is having difficulty and tough bumps becoming a singer now doesn't mean Sheryl did not face the same thing in her youth.

It is hinted in episode 5 and 6 that Sheryl's path to stardom is not perfect at all and in some ways, she may envy the support Ranka has that she may not had.

Its simply going through the stages of stardom that one finally finds the stability. I'm sure if Ranka succeeds in reaching Sheryl's present footsteps, she is no less than the definition of your 'perfectness'.